What to Look For When Buying a Home Printer (Inkjet vs Laser)

Inkjet vs Laser: The Real Differences

How They Work

Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper through microscopic nozzles. Laser printers use toner (a fine powder) that's melted onto paper with heat and static electricity. This fundamental difference affects everything from print quality to running costs.

When to Choose Inkjet

Inkjet is better if you:

• Print photos or colorful graphics. Inkjets produce vibrant colors and smooth gradients that laser printers can't match.
• Print infrequently. Wait, this seems backward - but modern inkjets handle occasional use better than older models.
• Have limited space. Inkjets are typically more compact and lighter.
• Have a tight upfront budget. Basic inkjets start around $50-100.

The catch: Replacement ink cartridges are expensive. A $100 printer can easily cost $100/year in ink if you print regularly. That's why many people feel "scammed" by inkjet printers - the printer is cheap, but the ink is where manufacturers make their money.

When to Choose Laser

Laser is better if you:

• Print lots of text documents. Laser produces crisp, professional-looking black text faster and cheaper per page.
• Print frequently. If you print 20+ pages per week, laser will save you money.
• Want reliability. Laser printers are generally more reliable and have fewer issues than inkjets.
• Don't print for weeks at a time. Toner doesn't dry out like ink does.

The catch: Higher upfront cost ($150-400 for home models). Color laser printers are significantly more expensive than black-and-white models.

The Real Cost: Look at Cost Per Page

Don't just look at the printer's price tag. A $50 inkjet might seem like a bargain, but if cartridges cost $35 and print only 200 pages, that's 17.5 cents per page. Compare that to a $200 laser printer where toner costs $60 but prints 2,000 pages - that's just 3 cents per page.

Rough cost per page estimates:

• Budget inkjet: 10-20 cents per page
• Laser printer: 2-5 cents per page
• Ink tank printer: 1-2 cents per page (see below)

The Third Option: Ink Tank Printers

Ink tank models (like Epson EcoTank, HP Smart Tank, Canon MegaTank, and Brother INKvestment) are inkjets with refillable reservoirs instead of cartridges. You buy bottles of ink for $10-15 that can print thousands of pages.

Best for: Families who print a lot, home offices, or anyone tired of expensive cartridges.

Cost: $200-400 upfront, but ink costs drop to about $5-10/year for typical home use.

Other Features to Consider

• All-in-one (print/scan/copy): Adds $20-50 to cost but very convenient
• Wi-Fi printing: Print from phones, tablets, anywhere in your house
• Automatic document feeder (ADF): For scanning/copying multi-page documents
• Duplex (two-sided) printing: Saves paper, essential for some

The Bottom Line

For most homes, the best choice is:

• Black-and-white laser if you mainly print documents
• Ink tank printer if you need color and print regularly
• Budget inkjet only if you print very rarely (less than 50 pages/month) and sometimes need color